Wendy wondered again, watching Lard checking everything from the saddle and the bow bag hanging on it to the canteen one by one. Not caring about her question, Lard just focused on checking the equipment. He didnât pay attention to her sullen look while checking the condition of Snowyko. Only after he was done did he turn back and look at her.
âNo big deal. Checking and rechecking is my old habit. As this is your first hunting, double checking is not bad, isnât it?â
Gently stroking Snowykoâs cheek, he approached Balos and double checked the equipment.. Wendy shook her head, sighing at his excessive precaution. As he checked the equipment and Balosâs condition so seriously as if he wanted to check Baloseâs mane, she gave up watching the tedious process and climbed on Snowykoâs back. As she had to team up with Snowyko, she thought she had better check by herself before going out into the forest.
While she rode the horse slowly around the nearby empty lot a couple of times, Jean and Melissa drove their horses toward her. Fortunately, Lard was done checking his equipment.
There was the sound of the horns ringing in the distance. Hearing the horn blowing, Lardâs group drove toward the west of the forest. A servant on a horse followed them and four hounds ran ahead of them, searching for prey here and there.
Unfamiliar with the scene around her, Wendy was filled with mixed feelings. She felt relieved that there was no chance of her bumping into Dylan, given the nature of hunting in small groups this time, but at the same time, she felt thrilled to hunt for the first time in her life.
She was embarrassed by this kind of excitement. She had to discard it in order not to play into the princeâs hand, but she found it hard to give up such feelings as a woman who had ignored the feeling for a long time. It was something she should have experienced as a young woman.
That awakening disturbed her heart as if she felt a sense of guilt.
Besides, she naturally recalled what the crown prince whispered to her after giving some advice to the nobles before the game started. His words disturbed her mind even more. With a casual look, the prince told her that he would expect her to win the hunting contest, as if he requested the heroine on the stage.
He openly expressed his wishes to her. If it was called âambitionâ to give a commoner woman the opportunity to rise as a noble woman, people would think harshly of it, thinking it would be more proper to call it grace, not ambition. But how could they purely accept his idea that he wanted to make Wendy Lardâs lover the captain of the imperial knights who lots of noble women admired and wanted to have as their lover?
Of course, Wendy also knew that the emperorâs ridiculous trick was not motivated by his wicked desire to harm her, but from her point of view, this would certainly be a threat, something extremely dangerous enough to threaten her life.
What she vaguely imagined turned out to be true, but she wasnât entirely convinced why he did it.
So, Wendy expected to find out his motivation at the contest, but the prince left no room for her to figure it out.
âDid he host this event to satisfy his own interest and entertainment? Because of his damn retirement?â
Wendy felt a migraine coming back because of the princeâs incomprehensible behavior. She felt a bit better when she pressed her temple with her fingertips. Her eyes were wet with tears.
The wind blew. Passing through the leaves of the forest one by one, it blew through the forest from the west. The breeze of the forest touched her wet eyes like a beast licking its wounds. With her eyes blinking slowly, she just left herself with the wind, not moving for a while.
âWendy!â Melissa called her, getting close to her with a smile.
âWell, Iâve been curious about it all alongâ¦â
Wendy was forced to lean toward her as Melissa was hesitant to speak to her without meeting her eyes.
âWhy is she hesitant to speak to me?â
âIâve been wondering about your hat veil. Iâve never seen that kind of veil before. Did you design it by yourself? Normally, when you ride a horse, you wear it in the back, not the front.â
Melissa raised her hand, pointing at the silvery veil covering the back of her head.
While she was annoyed at Melissaâs question, she answered with a sullen voice, âI have hypersensitivity to sunlight. I need this veil to protect my skin. Melissa, you had better be careful too because you will soon get freckles if your skin is exposed to the sun at midday. Whatâs more, if you run a horse without a long veil on your head in a forest like this, you might have an accident by getting caught in branches. Be careful. Your youth wonât last long.â
Melissaâs expression fell quickly. She took off her cap at once and shoved the veil into her bag carelessly. Watching her actions, Wendy drove the horse a little faster to get ahead of her to avoid any more unproductive conversations with her.
There was no hot sunlight in the dense forest, but Wendyâs warning to Melissa seemed to have had some effect. Hearing the sound of birds chirping from afar, Wendy put spurs to Snowyko harder.
While they scouted the forest, there was a noticeable change in the movement of the hounds. Sniffing around loudly, the hounds started running in one direction. As if they were excited at the scent of prey, the hounds ran ferociously, baring their sharp fangs.
Along with the rustling sound of the grass, there was the sound of a beastâs rapid movement.
Obviously, the prey hiding in the grass felt threatened and fled. The hounds began to chase it, barking loudly. The atmosphere was filled with excitement.
âGreat!â
Jean exclaimed as if he was excited. The beast in question was an adult fox about the length of an adultâs forearm with conspicuous gray-white fur. Wendy silently watched the chase while following the fast-moving fox. The beast running away from the hounds chasing it ferociously seemed very desperate. The only thing the fox could do at the crossroads of life and death was to run away from the hounds without stopping.
But it was not just the sharp fangs of the hounds that threatened it.
Wendy heard somebody drawing their bow. The moment she confirmed it was Lard pulling the bow, the arrow left the bow, vigorously cutting through the air.
With a painful moan, the fox fell to the ground. The hounds, which were poised to run toward the fox, heard the servantâs whistling and groaned loudly without approaching it.
Concerned that the foxâs skin would be damaged, the servant quickly went and picked it up. Given the foxâs limp body in the hand of the servant, it seemed to have been already killed.
The servant approached Lardâs party and raised the dead fox.
âItâs a top quality Rustin fox. As the fur is rare, you can get a high score.â
Red blood was dripped from its body where the arrow pierced. The dead fox creeped Wendy out. Wendy hurriedly turned away her eyes from it.
The next game was found quickly. It was another fox with reddish brown fur.
It ran away, wagging its thick tail, but was hit by Jeanâs arrow.
As the servant didnât come to pick it up on time, an excited hound bit the dead foxâs nape, which made the fox bleed more.
Wendy couldnât look at the bleeding dead fox, so she held her breath quietly. As if she was riding a rattling waggon, she felt nauseated. The excitement she felt right before going on the hunt was already gone. She saw the fear of the beast when it screamed its last time. She got goosebumps at its last cry. It was not only her instinctive objection to slaughter but also her natural objection to the strongâs mercilessness toward the weak.
âAre you feeling okay?â Lard asked her, feeling she was noticeably silent.
As she did not want to put a damper on their excitement, she nodded casually as if she was okay.
Lard looked straight into her face. When Wendy pulled out the water bottle and avoided his eyes, he suggested that his party take a break from hunting for a while.
It was not difficult for Lard to notice that her reluctant affirmation was a lie.
As she nodded with a hardened face, saying she was okay, he still couldnât believe her.